I was so sad to hear about Lucian dying last night.  The artworld has lost 3 of its most important and inspirational modern artists in as many months.  Louise Borgeouis in May, Cy Twombly in June and now the greatest portrait artist of them all (since Holbein) - Lucian Freud.

Modern art has lost all of its greats this year.

For me there are 2 stages to the experience of a great inspirational artist passing. At first there is the profound sadness that there will never be any new work from them again, and then in turn that emotion changes into a real sense of having lost the person.  The greatest artists, in any field, express their vision so coherently, we end up feeling that we know them - that is the mark of greatness.

A sad year.